Disparities in Health Care Quality among Asian Children with Special Health Care Needs

Health Soc Work. 2017 May 1;42(2):95-102. doi: 10.1093/hsw/hlx004.

Abstract

There is a dearth of information on the quality of health care for Asian American children and particularly Asian children with special health care needs (CSHCN). The goal of this article was to determine whether there were disparities in quality of health care for Asian CSHCN, whose experiences have not been studied. Data were derived from the 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (ns = 355 non-Hispanic Asian children and 4,343 non-Hispanic white CSHCN). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between racial identity (that is, non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian) and quality of health care. Racial disparities in quality of health care were substantial between Asian and white CSHCN in 2009-2010. Asian parents were significantly less likely than white parents to report that their health care provider provided the specific information they needed, helped them feel like a partner in their child's care, and was sensitive to the family's values and customs. The development and testing of specific, targeted policy and practice interventions to reduce disparities in health care quality for these children are urgently needed.

Keywords: Asian American; children's health; disparities; health care quality; special health care needs.

MeSH terms

  • Asian*
  • Child
  • Disabled Children*
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Healthcare Disparities*
  • Humans
  • Quality of Health Care*
  • United States
  • White People